Founding statement

Egyptians have struggled courageously for their freedoms – now they ask if gains of the 2011 revolution are to be dismissed with a new wave of repression. Egypt Solidarity calls urgently for support of those under assault from a regime hostile to human rights and social justice.

Army leader Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has used the third anniversary of Egypt’s Tahrir uprising to attack activists who led nationwide protests against the dictatorship of President Mubarak. When demonstrators gathered in Cairo on 25 January 2014 to mark the 2011 events they were targeted by snipers and by riot police using teargas and live ammunition.

Health officials say that 64 people were killed, most as a result of gunshot wounds;1 participants believe that the figures are much higher and that in addition more than 1,000 demonstrators were arrested. Several lawyers who visited police stations to secure access to those detained were seized and imprisoned.

‘Repression and impunity’

New laws forbid public protest without permission of the authorities. Young activists associated with the movement of Tahrir Square are prominent among those now in prison for defending the right to public assembly and to freedom of expression. Amnesty International reports that “repression and impunity [of security forces] are the order of the day”.

In December 2013 peaceful activists opposing the government’s campaign to vote “Yes” in a contentious referendum on a new constitution were arrested in Cairo for displaying “No” posters. Human Rights Watch says: “Protecting the right to vote requires safeguarding the right to free expression… Egyptian citizens should be free to vote for or against the new constitution, not fear arrest for simply campaigning for a ‘no’ vote.”

Amnesty comments that current policies are “a charter for state-sanctioned repression and carte blanche for security force abuses”. In a detailed report on Egypt at the third anniversary of the 2011 revolution, the organisation concludes that such policies are “a betrayal of all the aspirations for bread, freedom and social justice”.

‘Fifth column’

In July 2013 al-Sisi used widespread popular anger against the Muslim Brotherhood to justify his seizure of power. Following removal of the elected president, Mohamed Mursi, the army and security forces massacred more than 1,000 of the Brotherhood’s supporters in attacks on their protest camps in Cairo and Giza. We recognise that the Brotherhood’s policies and earlier collusion with the security forces have been of great concern to many Egyptians: at the same time we affirm our condemnation of the military’s crimes.

Without evidence or investigation the Brotherhood has since been banned as a “terrorist” organisation. Thousands of its supporters have been jailed, while leading members have been presented with what Human Rights Watch calls “a laundry list of charges”. Some have meanwhile “disappeared”.

Secular activists not affiliated with the Brotherhood – and who have been among the latter’s most outspoken critics – are now also accused of “terrorism”, a practice familiar from the Mubarak era. The young revolutionaries of 2011, acclaimed worldwide for their principled opposition to Mubarak’s regime, have also been described as a “fifth column” and as “paid agents of enemy powers”.

Writer and activist Ahdaf Soueif says, “Three years on, Egyptians who want freedom are smeared and arrested. But there will be no stability without social justice.”

Under assault

Many democratic advances that followed the fall of President Mubarak are now in danger. All branches of the state apparatus are being used to quash dissent and to create a climate of fear:

university campuses, freed of security forces in 2011, have been invaded by riot police using live ammunition and birdshot against students;

academics who defend human rights have been charged with offences including terrorism and espionage;

workers exercising their rights to form independent unions and to challenge employers face intimidation and arrest;

human rights organisations have been attacked, their files stolen and their officers arrested;

media organisations which express independent views have been assaulted and closed, and their staff accused of terrorism.

Egypt Solidarity is an international initiative which endorses freedoms secured since the 25 January Revolution of 2011. We call on all those who agree with our principles and demands to work with us in building global solidarity for Egyptians under threat from the military regime.

We support:

the right to freedom of expression and of assembly, including public protest;

the right to freedom of association, including the right to form political parties and independent trade unions, and to establish NGOs;

the right to strike;

the right to live without fear of sexual violence;

freedom from religious or sectarian persecution;

freedom of the media;

free elections;

fair trials.

We call for:

immediate and unconditional release of those imprisoned for exercising rights to freedom of expression and of assembly;

repeal of Law 107 of 2013, restricting rights to public assembly;

independent investigation into state violence and criminality, including assaults on those exercising any of the rights and freedoms above;

an immediate end to trials of civilians in military and State Security courts.

We call on our governments to suspend all financial, military or other support to the Egyptian authorities that may be used to violate the rights of Egyptian citizens. In particular we demand immediate cessation of all sales and transfers to the Egyptian government of weapons, ammunition, vehicles, cyber-surveillance technology and other materials for use against those who exercise their right to protest.